VVM Accelerator’s mission is to give startups the structure, knowledge, and tools to answer core business questions for themselves in a framework that is meaningful to investors.

Do you have a verified product/service market fit?

Do you have a viable, evidence-based plan to scale your business?

Do you have a cohesive founding team with the right skills & experience?

Who are we?

VVA, is a nonprofit accelerator program born out of Valley Venture Mentors(VVMentors) based in Springfield, MA. VVAccelerator is funded by generous grants from MassMutual and the Governor’s office with the mission to further entrepreneurialism and innovation.

How it Works:

VVM Accelerator will welcome it’s inaugural cohort, comprised of 30 startup teams, for four months of programming in January of 2015.

In addition to orientation and graduation, all accepted startups must attend a minimum of two meetings a month in Springfield, MA. Startups will commit to training groups based on their availability – daytime, evening or weekend for meeting attendance. However, we anticipate the most successful companies will engage in the full spectrum of opportunities and training offered by the accelerator.

Benefits for Startups:

Eligible to win grants of $50,000 each (no equity).

A rigorous training program structured around the lean launchpad curriculum with the goal of companies achieving highest Investment Readiness Level and overcoming the three main causes of startup death: failing to achieve product-market-fit, premature scaling, and team member dynamics.

Provided free office space in downtown Springfield.

Connected with experienced mentors from VVM’s pools of hundreds.

Who Should Apply:

We accept the startups we can help the most. That boils down to teams that have fire in their belly to take their venture to the next level, are coachable, have ambition to scale their idea up beyond a small business, and can commit to actively participating in many of the program’s activities as well as work twenty hours a week on their venture.

What does not matter to us: non-profit or for-profit, where the team is located, where – or whether – the founders went to school, how long they have been in business, or how much money they have (or don’t).